


Trinity

by ThunderCat



Series: Deities and Snakes [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-07-06 10:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15883836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThunderCat/pseuds/ThunderCat
Summary: Sequel to "A goddess to snakes". For one she's the mother he lost long ago, for another she's the friend he never had and for the third she's the lover his heart had longed for.





	1. Prologue

The moment Hermione opened her eyes she knew it was going to be a long day. Like every Saturday her schedule was full. It wasn't necessary a bad thing. Usually she was waking up with a smile on her lips in anticipation of the day but of late her regularly breakfast meetings with a certain Slytherin was worrying her.

Though he never said it out loud she knew he was wishing for more than just friendship and wasn't hiding it as good as he may thought. But Hermione knew, deep down, it was not love he was feeling but loneliness and the constant fear that he would be left alone.

It broke her heart to see him like that, but she couldn't change the will of her own heart and that was beating for another one.

Unintentionally her eyes landed on a photo of _him_ and she could instantly feel the happiness that spread through her body. It was one of her favourites and the result of a spontaneous snap. It showed both of them near the Quidditch pitch and was taken after the match. He was still wearing his uniform and was all ruffled up from the play. Both of his arms held her protectively around her waist while she was telling him something. She couldn't quite remember what, but it had been funny because he threw his head back to bark out a laugh before he lifted her up and kissed thoughtfully.

Breaking into a brilliant smile after all she pushed the sheets back and swung her legs out of bed to make her way to the shower.

Hermione would meet him later tonight.

For now...she sighed. For now she had to find a way to make it clear to a certain Slytherin that she wasn't the one for him without hurting him or worse giving him the impression she was pitying him. The curly haired witch winced at the thought. He definitely would not take kindly to that.

No, there had to be a way to make him see how much she valued their friendship and that she didn't ever intend to turn her back to him, but that they would never be more.

Yes, she could do that, she nodded to herself with a determined expression while she started to get ready for the day.

Something casual, without looking too sloppy.

Again, the smile found its way to her lips as her eyes glanced over the beautiful silk dress she had brought for tonight. But that was for later.

First breakfast with a friend and then... Well, truth to be told she had no idea how to declare the relationship with her other snake. It was odd at times, even uncomfortable but most of the time she actually enjoyed their shared afternoons. He was sharp-witted and had a surprisingly sensitive side to him. One he didn't show often but it was there and obviously she was the only one he was willing to share it with. Not that he had the opportunity to meet many people these days, though Hermione doubted that he would even if he could.

Her thoughts turned to their last meeting the previous week and their quiet walk through the beautiful garden he planted over the years. He didn't always feel the need to talk to her and she didn't mind. It was not an uncomfortable silence, not anymore.

Hermione had left feeling calm and refreshed. No, she didn't mind their meetings and after today she would not feel uncomfortable with her breakfast partner. She promised herself that everything would be fine and she would end the day with a smile on her face and so would her snakes.

 

TBC


	2. Part one: Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favourite crazy...I totally forgot how crazy he can be

Looking at the flowers on the table Barty Crouch junior asked himself if he made the right decision. The peonies were nice but maybe he should have settled for the dahlias instead. Hermione did enjoy them the last time she was here. Although she was quite taken with the peonies as well. She loved his magical garden and Barty was proud that he could truthfully claim it the work of his own hands.

_Difficult!_

After another hard look at the flowers he cursed silently. He should have settled for both! With a quick twist of his wand he checked the time. Damn! She would be here any minute now, so he had no time to cut some dahlias. Hermione was never late.

No, she always made sure to be right on time and Barty admired her all the more for it. His mother taught him it was a sign of disrespect to be late, not fashionable like some of his former acquaintance seemed to think.

Hermione always respected him.

 _Yes, yes she does. Always full of respect._ The voices in his head agreed enthusiastically but softly. They hadn't been all that loud since the healer treated him once a week. Barty didn't like healer Bromwick very much but it made Hermione happy and more important, made her visit him once a week so he underwent Bromwick's treatment.

After the final battle the Wizard Government had been quick with arresting _Death Eaters_ and everyone else they could put some dirt on. It was not much of a surprise that he had been under the top ten of their list. Much more surprisingly was one Hermione Granger, stepping forward with a determined look on her face and fighting for him. Well she fought for getting him out of prison and into medical care instead, claiming he was ill and simply needed help but who cared for details?

His wildflower was always worried about him and who was he to tell her otherwise? Grinning fondly, he remembered his stubborn little hell cat bending the fools down to her will. Leaving them clearly frightened of her quick tongue and sharp wit.

After she was finished with them, there was no doubt left in his mind, that she should have been sorted into Slytherin. Of course, there was still the matter of her blood, but he quenched the thought quickly like he always did. It wouldn't do him good to think bad about his wildflower. No! She was pure and sweet, just like his mother had been.

 _Yes, she's pure and soft. She's good for us._ The soft chore assured him pleased with his line of thoughts. Relieve washed over him as he felt the soothing hum in his mind and he allowed himself to sit down in one of the giant chairs around the table.

In the past the voices in his head had given him awful headaches with their persistent and loud demands and he had known better than to resist them. So, if they asked for something he hurried to please them, but since his wildflower came into his life, they weren't that loud and demanding any longer. In fact, they left him alone for most of the day only reminding him now and then that they were still there.

Mostly when his mind slipped on Hermione's blood status or other things he knew she wouldn't like. They could still get pretty awful and made him feel like his head was about to explode, so he was eager to abandon all bad thoughts from his mind.

All in all, it could be said that they were more of a helpful remainder theses day and he hadn't had a headache in months.

No, he was a good boy and good boys weren't punished. No, no good boys were getting rewarded.

“Yes,“ he muttered and turned the vase around till it was standing directly in the middle of the table. “Good boys get visits from beautiful witches.”

His eyes glanced around his home, one last time, to make sure everything was in order. Pleased he noticed that everything was where it belonged and looked perfect. The cottage he lived in these days wasn't big or anything fancy, but he liked it just fine. Compared to Azkaban it appeared like a palace.

He had been forced to give up his ancestral home, together with a good part of his money as part of his _deal_ with the Government. The manor severed as an orphanage these days and the money made sure that they would want for nothing. Compared to the Malfoy's or the Purcy's the Crouch vault wasn't that big, but it certainly contained enough to ensure a comfortable life for hundreds of orphans.

He didn't care!

What he did care about was the limited use of his wand. Besides a few basic spells it wasn’t much of use any more. Barty knew that in this life time he would neither leave this property nor ever possess a wand which could do more than lit a fire.

In the beginning he had thought about ways to escape his punishment quite often, but the prospect of never seeing Hermione again had always stopped him.

Of course, he could have taken her with him but he had a feeling that she wouldn't be happy about that so it wasn't an option. After all his mother taught him how to treat a lady and abducting wasn't part of it so he stayed. And now, seven years later he was quite comfortable with it.

He had his house, his garden, a beautiful witch who visited him every week and most of all he had his freedom. Something he hadn't experienced since he was a boy.

Suddenly the wards surrounding his house informed him of Hermione's arrival and he was quick to stand up. A moment later she apparated onto the patio. He allowed himself a moment to take in her appearance and like always he was stuck by her natural beauty.

The witch wasn't beautiful in the classical sense. She was much too short, her hair too wild and her figure too plump but there was also something incredible sensual about her. It was not visible right away, he himself had needed quite some time to see it, but once you got a glimpse of it, it was impossible to look away. It made you crave for more and Barty knew that she had attracted quite a lot of men, mostly Slytherin, due to her alluring nature.

Barty knew about her close relationship with the young Malfoy as well as the Purcy heir. Ever since the final battle those two had done everything in their power to win her affection and unlike himself hadn't been looked away.

He did not like it very much, but there wasn't much he could do about it either. At least those two were raised with proper manners and knew how to treat a lady and further knew how to protect her. Other as her little Gryffindor friends who simply weren't good enough for her.

Grinning he raised from his chair and stepped towards her to kiss her cheek like he used to.

“Hello, my wildflower.”

“Hello, Bartemius!” Grinning a little wider at the use of his full name, he allowed her to link her arm through his so that he could lead her over to the patio. He liked hearing his proper name from her lips. It made him feel more mature, more respected. _Barty_ was the name for a boy, but _Bartemius_ had a certain ring to it. At first, he'd despised it to be called the name his bastard of a father had worn, but over time he had changed his mind and come to enjoy it.

His father was dead, killed by his own hand and no one would mistake him for the person who had made him feel inferior and unwanted all of his life any longer. He was his own man and when his wildflower called him by his given name it was to remind him of that fact, not to mock him.

Hermione was good for him and his self-esteem.

_Yes, yes, she was._

She always found ways to do so. It often showed in little acts and words and he was always very careful to look out for them. He would mull over their afternoon meetings after she left and reflect her reactions, smiles and words. Often it was only then that he was able to recognize all signs of support and affection Hermione showered him with.

Yes, his wildflower was very good at being subtle. He liked it. It gave him something to think about when she was gone.

 

 

Barty made sure she was comfortable in her seat before he called Winky to bring tea and biscuits outside. Since he moved into the cottage the little house elf was back into the service of his family, something the Wizard Government hadn't been happy about. Elf magic was different from that of Wizard kind and they feared, rightly so, that he could use Winky to escape his house arrest.

But Winky wouldn't accept a no, especially after he told her he would allow her to bind herself to his family once again. After all the little elf held a special place in his heart, though he would never admit it out loud. But beside his mother the house elf had been the only one who cared about him in his youth.

So, in the end the Government had given in. They had made Winky swear all kinds of vows, mostly to prevent her from becoming a vassal in his schemes. Once again, their act displayed nothing but their own stupidity. Unlike witches or wizards who would die if they'd go against an unbreakable vow, elves weren't affected by it at all.

Barty suspected Hermione knew as much, but never made an effort to correct the Wizard Government.

“How are you today?” Realising that Hermione was talking to him he pushed his thoughts away for now.

“Wonderful, now that you are here wildflower. It felt longer than a week since your last visit and I was getting quite anxious to see you again. How was your week?”

“Busy, like always,” she smiled.

“You work too much wildflower,” he carefully looked her over in search of lines of weariness and wasn't too surprised to find some. She was a bit too pale, her shoulders a bit stiff and her hair appeared to be a tart bit more bushy than usual. All signs that told him that she was stressed, and he didn't like it. “You shouldn't have to work at all. I should have known those two whelps are not able to look properly after you. If you would be mine I would treat you like a queen. You would have to worry about...”

“Bartemius Crouch jr.,” she interrupted him sternly before he could go on. It wasn't the first time he told her how he felt about the subject and he knew very well that she was not fond of people telling her what she could and couldn’t do. “I'm perfectly capable of looking out for myself. I don't need Adrian, Draco or you for that!”

Barty was tempted to remind her of the final battle where all of them had done a pretty good job at looking out for her and rescuing her life. On the other side, even he wasn't insane enough to fuel her fire, when she had that certain look in her eyes. He could feel his shoulders slumping down and sighed. Why couldn't he make her see that he was only worried about her welfare?

“I know you only mean well, but you as well as Draco and Adrian,” Hermione emphasized, “have to learn that I'm my own woman. I don't need a man to look out for me and I love my job. But,” she interrupted herself to smile at him and pat his hand across the table. “You always treat me like a queen. Never doubt that I don't know that.”

He peeked up at her words and more so at the feel of her touch. Shyly he took her small hand in his larger one and couldn't stop himself from grinning brightly, when she allowed him to hold it during their entire tea session. Like always they mostly talked about the recent book she had brought him. The latest contained all kinds of abstract magical theories, which he found himself deeply fascinated with and was all too happy to discuss his thoughts with the little witch who could easily keep up with him.

Afterwards there was an awkward moment of silence in which he feared she would deprive her hand from his or worse -leave. So, he eagerly asked her for a walk in his garden and much to his relieve Hermione agreed at once.

Showing her the gentleman his mother had raised him to be he offered her his arm and accompanied her towards area which his magical garden was built on. It was surrounded by special wards Hermione had set for him, so that his plants and flowers were sheltered from the weather and other influences.

Barty had invested a lot of time to create his little paradise. It had given him peace and kept him busy and it reminded him of the time he'd spend with his mother in her rose garden as a child. They were her pride and joy and with the exception of him no one was allowed to tend to them. That was until his father forbade him to take part in such girly exertions of course.

In honour of her memory he had grown roses of all colours in the centre of his garden as well as lilies which were Hermione's favourites. It was by far his favourite spot, not only because of the soothing atmosphere but also because of the scent that lingered in the air and remained him of both, his mother and Hermione. There was a bench as well as a little table which were both used quite often as he tended to spend most of his time here when he wanted to relax, read his books or-

“What is this?”

His eyes widened in horror as he noticed the leather notebook in Hermione's hands. It wasn't just any notebook but his poetry book. He would have blushed hadn't he remembered in time that he used to be one of the most feared _Death Eater_.

Normally he hid it behind some of the flowers before her visits but obviously he had become careless. He wasn't sure how he felt about her finding out about his other hobby. Specially because it was centred around her person. “That...uhh...” He spluttered unsure how to explain the book. Sheepishly he scratched the back of his head, but before he could make up his mind Hermione's curiosity solved his trouble.

“As I wander'd the forest,

The green leaves among,

I heard a wild flower

Singing a song.”*

Her voice was soft and he even thought he could hear something like awe in it's depth. She stopped for a moment to look at him and it was the look in her eyes that soothed his nervousness. Maybe she didn't find it horrible. His poetry was never meant to be read by others, specially not those it was about. At least not since a girl he liked as a boy had made fun of him because of the poem he wrote for her. But his wildflower was different, she wasn't laughing at him but regarding him with admiration.

“I slept in the Earth

In the silent night,

I murmur'd my fears

And I felt delight.*

She stopped again, this time with an open smile on her lips.

“It's beautiful, did you write this?”

Barty nodded, but he wasn't sure if she saw it because her eyes were already wandering over the other poems in his book while her fingers turned the pages. Suddenly her head shot up and he could see a rosy blush covering her cheeks.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I know that I'm a bit noisy sometimes and I probably shouldn't snoop through your things. I mean, they are your private thoughts and I...”

“No, no, no.” He hurried to assure her. “It's okay. I...well I didn't wrote it for you but while thinking about you, so...um...so you like it?”

“Like it? I love it. It's beautiful! Would you....would you allow me to read more?”

Barty could feel himself practically glowing with happiness under her praise. “Yes of course. You can take it with you to read it,” he instantly allowed her and was rewarded with a spontaneous hug from the witch.

If possible, his smile got even bigger, as he carefully wrapped his arms around her tiny form and inhaled her sweet scent. Thoughts and emotions swept through him like an erratic tornado till they abruptly settled down and left him with a soothing calmness. Beside his mother, Hermione was the only person who ever made him feel that way. Both women had the gift to reach his very soul and case away all the dark taints that soiled it and Barty realized that he was truly blessed to have someone like Hermione in his life.

Someone who was sweet and pure and willing to fight the darkness that held himself so deeply in its clutches. He had no idea why she really continued to visit him every weekend. Though Bartemius was not stupid enough to think her reasons were the ones he wished them to be, he was Slytherin enough not to question them either.

 

 

The little witch was the light in his life and like every week at the end of their meeting he escorted her back to her apparation point with mixed feelings. There was sadness and the feeling of loss about her departure but also a lightness in himself that filled him with energy and spirit which urged him to grasp a quill and paper and write about it.

“I had a lovely time, like always Bartemius.” Her soft voice ripped him out of his thoughts and he used the last minutes to memorize every part of her so that he could visualize her perfectly when he thought about her later.

“Will you visit me next week?” Although she'd visited him every week in the last seven years he needed her to promise him. Her visit was the highlight of his week. Everything he did during the other six days was done with her on his mind. There was no sense in reading books without having her to talk about them, he wouldn't work so hard on his garden without the reward of her smile and there would be no poetry without her in his life. He needed her, much like a child needed his mother to shelter him and give him strength.

“Of course, I will visit you next week, you know that I will! And thank you for allowing me to read more,” she answered while she caressed the back of his leather notebook. And with a last smile she twirled her wand and was gone.

Staring blankly at the spot she had been standing mere seconds ago he thought about his life and the events that brought him to this point. A few years ago, nothing would have stopped him from finding a way to bring his master back to life. He did it once, there was no reason why it shouldn't be possible a second time. Magic held many facets; easy and complicated, dark and light, sweet and fearful, new and old. In fact, some were so old that they seemed long lost and forgotten.

Barty hadn't. He had found a spell which could bring back the dead, even such a shattered soul as the Dark Lords. There were times when he thought about it and sometimes he actually considered using it but in the end he couldn't. Not when thoughts of Hermione invaded his mind and reminded him of her smile, her scent and most of all of the way she made him feel; valued, cherished accepted and alive.

The Dark Lord most certainly failed to make him feel any of that. What use did he have for a master who wouldn't even acknowledge his most faithful follower? No, he was better off without him. He didn't need to hide in the shadows any longer and bask in the darkness. Not when he had his wildflower in his life, filling it with lightness and... love.

Sighing deeply, he realised that for the first time in nearly three decades he felt completely at ease with himself. His life wasn't what he expected it to be, but it certainly was what he needed it to be, all thanks to his wildflower.

The hum of approval in his head added to the surge of happiness as he headed back to his garden. There was a rosebush he needed to tend to and maybe another leather notebook which was waiting to be filled with words. After all his inspiration had just visited him.

And she would be coming back...like always.

TBC

 

*** The Wild Flower's Song by William Blake.**


	3. Part two: Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for my english. This is an old fic and I correct what I can before I upload it here, but it's still a bit 'bumby'.

Sighing deeply Draco Malfoy looked over the table, which was piled with enough food to make the Hogwarts sorting festival dinner look like a charity meal. He had no idea who in Merlin’s name could possible eat all that, but the house-elves refused to see reason.

Draco knew they only wanted to help him _“win over the missus”_ and in their mind food was the best way. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to hire the Hogwarts elves, that wished to serve for a family again, they seemed to have a obstinate understanding of _“a light breakfast”_ and apparently corrupted his other servants.

But he shouldn't be too surprised, after all the Manor was full of eager match makers. Be it his parents, the elves or the paintings that had set their mind on marring him off. At the age of twenty-five he was still single, something that was unheard of in his family line.

After the war, no one thought much of his lack of interest in dating. The Malfoy family had greater problems than that – like being thrown into Azkaban for instance.

All in all, they could consider themselves lucky that they got away with a rather mild punishment. Instead of being locked away for eternity or worse, being kissed, they got away with house arrest and a hefty sum of gallons.

His mother had gotten off the hook rather easily, mostly due to her lie regarding scarhead's condition during the battle at Hogwards. Potter himself had testified on her behalf and though he would have rather swallowed his tongue he'd thanked the boy-wonder afterwards for keeping her out of prison. Narcissa was a delicate woman and would not have survived a month behind bars.

His father’s trial was a whole different matter, though. A lot of people would have loved to hand him over to the Dementors personally and hadn't it been for Hermione they probably would have. But the feisty little witch had done anything in her power to convince the Wizard Government of the fact that Lucius Malfoy deserved a second chance.

Truth to be told it was more of a third chance, considering he had escaped prison the last time Voldemort died. But this time was different. It was long before Potter killed that snake-face bastard that his father had seen the error of his ways. He fought to ensure the survival of his old-fashioned pureblood world, afraid of the change which seemed to threaten the safety of the old ways, only to realise that he'd followed a blood-thirsty megalomaniac who didn't care for anything beside his own power.

So, this time around Draco had little doubt that his father was willing to give up his old ways. His sentence had been fifteen years, but only three of them in Azkaban, for the rest of his punishment he was allowed to stay at Malfoy Manor but was forbidden to leave without at least two aurors present. Not that he had left his ancestral home since he was released out of prison four years ago and Draco doubted he ever would again.

At first, he'd thought Lucius was too ashamed to show his face in the community ever again but as time passed by, he realised that his father was quite content to stay at home. He spent a lot of time in his library as well as in the stables, caring for the bunch of Abraxan horses that lived on their grounds since the Malfoys settled here in 1146. A hobby he hadn't followed since Draco was a little boy but obviously enjoyed very much.

Surprisingly enough the house arrest pushed his parents closer together than they had been in years. They often went for a ride together or spend the evening in front of the fireplace where his father would read a classic novel or poem for his mother. They were holding hands, smiling at each other for no reason and he had even seen them kissing at times.

It was strange to watch them acting like a real couple, being used to their stiff and proper behaviour but he was happy for them.

Funny that it was due to Hermione that his parents finally found peace and happiness given that they had spent the better part of her lives to make her miserable.

As for himself...

Out of all the people in the world he was probably the one who deserved her kindness and forgiving nature least of all. He had tormented her for as long as he could remember in school, never passed an opportunity to humiliate her, hex her and make her cry. All because he was a spoilt and jealous little brat who envied her of what she had. It had cost him years to admit that simple truth to himself and it only made the jealously he felt towards Potter and Weasley so much worse.

He'd wanted such love, trust and loyalty for himself and in the end, it was what caused him to act like he did. Though he never did tell her, that it was him who called Dobby that day, he knew she was somehow aware of it. Perhaps it was his effort in the last battle to protect her which made her fight for him in front of the Wizard Government.

Even Potter made and effort to clear things out by describing the night of Dumbledore's death and Draco's unwillingness to kill the old wizard. But it was Hermione's passionate words and sharp tongue that bailed him out.

Instead of being locked away he was sentenced to help rebuilt Hogwarts, graduate from school and help with various projects that involved war orphans. Merlin, he had feared he wouldn't be allowed to ever use his wand again. Being forced to graduate was by no means a punishment for him. Other then Weaselby and the boy-wonder he enjoyed school. Maybe not to the same extend like Hermione but plenty enough. He had always been under the top five of his year and other than Hermione's shadows he realised how important a good education was. Specially for people like him, who couldn't rely their future on their fame. Draco knew that he needn't to work at all considering that his family was still rich, even after Voldemort and the Ministry had put a good ditch into their vaults.

But Draco wanted more in life than a full bank account. He wanted a career and a family and it was Hermione who made it possible in the first place. The career part at least.

Sighing again he leant back in his chair and closed his eyes while unsuccessfully trying to banish the depressing thoughts from his mind.

Despite what his family thought of his unwillingness to marry, Draco wanted to settle down and have a family of his own. He'd always wanted that; the problem was the witch he wished to build this family with wasn't interested in him.

Hermione was everything he could wish for and some more but obviously she wasn't for him. He'd never told her directly how he felt about her, but though she never said anything herself he was pretty sure she knew. Through the years Hermione had made it clear that she was not interested in anything but friendship and after that stupid git won her over he knew it was futile. The other man wouldn't let her go, because as much as Draco wished him to be he was far from being stupid or a git. Other than Weasley he knew exactly how precious a woman like Hermione really was and already treated her like a princess without trying to rob her of her independence. Which was quite a task the blond-haired man had to admit.

Draco was happy for her though he wouldn't deny the envy he felt every time he saw Hermione simply smiling at the other man with obvious love in her eyes. It hurt and cruelly showed him the loneliness he felt inside.

The feeling was one of the main reasons he finally left England nearly four years ago. After helping rebuilding Hogwarts, finishing his seventh year and studying of his own and pining for an untouchable woman he decided to take an apprenticeship in potions in Italy.

Blaise Zabini, one of the only real friends he ever had lived there with his family and it had been nice to spent time with him, without the looming danger of a Dark Lord. But it hadn't helped him to forget Hermione like he hoped. The weekly exchange of letters as well as the regular floo calls made sure of it. Blaise had introduced him to nearly every halfway decent woman he knew, but he simply was not interested. Instead he had buried himself in work and finished his apprenticeship with flying colours. Since a couple of months, he was back and it had been worse than he expected.

His only friend was still in Italy while his parents wouldn't stop nagging at him about finding a witch to marry and fulfil his duty as a Malfoy as well as force him to go to all kinds of stupid Ministry functions. And besides that, he found himself still hopelessly attracted to Granger.

_Well, maybe it wasn't that hopeless any more._

Three weeks ago, things finally started to be looking up. The sky wasn't all that cloudy any more so to speak. No, it suddenly seemed to have the colour of the deepest blue with only a hint of grey on the edges. Draco could feel a smile forming on his lips as the woozy thoughts in his head started to form the picture of two blue orbs which looked at him with an odd mix of innocence, warmth and mirth. And there was something else in its depth, something unfathomable as if the person knew things others didn't. Not in a threatening way but in one that made him want to know more about the owner. Much more...

“Care to tell me what the smile is about?” The unexpected voice ripped him out of his thoughts and his eyes snapped open. There framed in the morning light stood the reason for most of his heart ache in the last several years. He blinked a few times as her position made it appear like she was radiating light rather than just standing in it. Thankfully she decided to sit down in one of the chairs, so his brain had time to reset. Shrugging he put on a nonchalant expression.

“Just thinking.” She seemed unsure what to make out of that, but obviously decided to let it pass. Her eyes slipped over the table and widened visible as she took in the various kinds of food.

“Were you expecting to feed an army, Draco? I swear it gets more and more every time I come here.”

“Well, don't blame me! It was you who persuade me to hire the elves who wanted to be bound to a family. It's not my fault they measure everything by Hogwart standard! I tried to talk to them, but they refuse to listen.” Instantly she opened her mouth to argue but no word came out. Though she had given up on S.P.E.W. - much to the elves relive – she was still trying to support them wherever she could. She knew he was right and that the little creatures probably enjoyed making the breakfast.

“Fine,” she huffed but he could see mirth in her eyes. “How was your week? Did you enjoy the Quidditch match yesterday? I would have come but work kept me from it.”

“Granger, you work way to hard,” knowing he was on thin ground he quickly added. “The match was fine, at least until Weasley tried to impress his girlfriend and nearly got himself killed by a bludger.” In truth, Draco was pretty sure that Flint and Pucey were having it in for the redhead. Well more than usual. But with Weasley acting like he was, it wasn't that hard of a task.

They played regularly in the backyard of the orphanage which was located at Crouch Manor these days. The location as well as the matches had of course been Hermione's idea. The children loved it, especially when the great Harry Potter would come over to play with them. Draco had to admit he was good with the kids. Being an orphan himself probably helped to communicate with them. The Weasleys, Wood, Bell and a lot of others visited regularly to help and take part in the matches, but it wasn't until Hermione invited Pucey and him over one weekend that he started to take part of it.

Of course there had been loud protest about their presence but Hermione had been stubborn and gave them all a good tongue-lashing that had them nodding in agreement out of fear of her wrath. Ever since then there had been more Slytherin’s coming over. Not only to play but to visit the children and spent some time with them. Even his mother made sure to apparate over every now and then. She would read good night stories to the younger ones, much like she did for him when he was little or give advice to the older girls about stuff only females understood.

“We won,” he grinned.

“Oh, did you catch the snitch?”

Hadn't it been for the gleam of excitement in her eyes he would have been cross with her. But Hermione knew how Potter permanently besting him as a Seeker needled him and more so his ego. As a Gryffindor she was still loyal to her house but could refrain from doing so when they played with mixed teams. “No, Potter caught it, but Weasley did so bad that we won anyway.”

“Poor Ron, I'm sure he was crestfallen.”

Rolling his eyes at her statement he was sure he would never understand this woman. It was so typical Hermione to be sorry for the git, even after all the heart ache he gave her as he learnt about her dating a Slytherin.

But he knew her good enough by now to not comment on it. Instead he asked her about her week and they quickly fell into an easy dialogue while they enjoyed their breakfast. The good thing about Hogwarts elves was that no one could revile them in cooking.

Draco used the time to watch the woman in front of him carefully. Hermione was by no means breath-taking beautiful, like other girls he had met over the years. She was rather plain in fact. Not dull, just nothing outstanding, with brown eyes, brown hair and a petite frame that was a bit too curvy for the current fashion. But that was just on first sight. If one actually took the time to look a bit more carefully he could see that her eyes weren't just brown, they were the colour of rich cognac with a few sprinkles of gold in it. The former rat’s nest on top of her head had changed into a mass of glossy hazel coloured curls, since she learned a spell or two to tame it and it made his fingers itch, to run them through it every time he saw her.

One could easily oversee the fact that she was indeed a very petite witch due to her confidence as well as the powerful vibe she gave off. She held more magic in her pinky finger then most witches and wizards in their whole body and it showed. And her figure might not match todays ideal, but in his opinion, she had curves in all the right places and she actually ate. There was nothing more depressing then having dinner with a witch who didn't eat more than a few leaves of salad.

But that was just the outside. The real beauty of the woman that was Hermione Granger came from the inside. She was kind, loyal, understanding and always tried to make others happy. Of course, she could be stubborn, insufferable, fussy and downright scary but normally it wasn't so hard to avoid that, as far as one wasn't Ronald Weasley.

But he slowly realised that he was mostly drawn to her because he'd always wanted someone in his live who really cared for him. In the all-consuming and heart melting kind of way she always had shown towards Tweedledum and Tweedledee. But just as slowly he realised that she wasn't for him. Well, if he was honest with himself he had known that for years but had a hard time to let it go.

Maybe all he'd needed was for someone else to open his eyes. Someone who wasn't doing it intentionally but did so by simply being herself. And maybe he had finally found her.

“Have you decided what you want to do?” Hermione asked and ripped him out of his thoughts.

“Actually, I have,” he nodded but didn't continue just to rail her up a little. Old habits die hard after all.

“Well?” She demanded impatiently as he expected, and he had a hard time to suppress his grin.

“Two weeks ago, I got a letter... from Hogwarts.” he added after a short pause.” McGonigall offered me the position as the new potion professor.”

“Two weeks...and you only tell me now?!” Hermione suddenly yelled. “Draco Abraxas Malfoy I can't believe that you would hide such a thing from me!”

“Yeeez, Granger, calm down!” He raised his hands a bit surprised about her reaction. “It's not as if we've seen each other since then.”

“You could have written me! I thought we were friends. Friends share such things with each other!”

That had him pause. “Of course, you are my friend Hermione. Beside Blaise you are the only real friend I ever had.” He told her softly.

“Oh Draco,” sighing she reached across the table and took his hand in her own. She would always do things like that when she wanted to apologise or show affection. It was nice. “I didn't mean it like that. It's just...I'm happy for you. I always knew you could make it and I'm certain you would make a wonderful teacher.” After a short moment she asked. “You did accept, right?” That made him chuckle.

“Yes, Granger I did.”

“Good for you!” She beamed before she suddenly seemed to be stuck by a thought. “Oh, and you wouldn't be alone. Luna just told me the other day that she quitted at St. Mungos to take over Madame Pomphrey's position. I would never have guessed that she was interested into becoming a healer. I always saw her hunting after some strange, non-existing creature and taking over the Quibbler one day.”

“She still intends of doing that one day. Maybe. For now, she wants to start a student newspaper.” The moment the words left his mouth he knew he said too much. Brilliant Malfoy! Sneaky and subtle, spoken like a true Slytherin. He was spending too much time with Gryffindors these days.

“Oh, really?” If the grin on Hermione's face became any brighter, Draco was sure it would hurt. “Is there something you want to tell me about?”

“I'm sure I've no idea what you're talking about!” There wasn't that much to tell at this point. He had met Luna Lovegood every now and then during the years that followed the war, but it wasn't until recently that he really noticed her. She was a strange bird. Pretty but crazy. At least that was what he thought at first. In reality she was much like Hermione. The first sight didn't tell you anything. Nothing really in Lunas' case and the more time he spent with her, the more he felt the wish to find out more about her. She was gentle and open minded, intelligent without the need to display it, as well as forgiving and sweet. With her he felt as if he could simple be himself and it would be enough.

“So, you two are a couple?” Obviously, Hermione wasn't giving up. Bloody Gryffindor.

“I'm not sure if a few dates lead us to be a couple.”

“But you like her?”

“Really Granger, has anyone ever told you that you are nosy?”

“Yes, all the time,” she grinned and leant forward over the table.

“So?” Sighing he decided to give in, knowing full well that she wouldn't stop until she had an answer.

“Yes, I like her. She's...unique.” _Wasn't that the truth!_ “We met at one of the Ministry balls my father forces me to go to and she was one of the few who didn't look at me as if I would Avada them and paint the walls with Dark Marks.”

Instead she had told him how handsome he looked in his dress robes and that he should look out for the _short-snout-gillifees_ or something like that, because they tended to get jealous over good looking wizards and one never knew what they would do. He was too stunned to say anything and before he'd found his voice again she was gone. But destiny certainly had its hands in it as he found her to be seated next to him at the table. At first it was a bit awkward but a few hours later he'd found himself in a deep conversation with her, astonished about her intelligence and intrigued by her perception of things. They talked, laughed and danced and at the end of the evening he found himself sad that they had to leave soon.

So, he'd been brave and asked her for a date the next day and much to his relief she said yes. That had been three weeks ago and they had met regularly ever since. Sometimes for dinner, sometimes for tea and sometimes he would just sit with her and talk. She was so different from the witches he knew but he appreciated it more and more. She wasn't interested in his money, his connection to famous people or some other double intention. Luna was just herself and never palmed herself as someone she wasn't.

“Yes, Luna understands people,” Hermione nodded.

“I'm not quite sure if I will ever understand her though. So, you are serious about her?”

“Are you asking me about my intentions?” He snorted with disbelieve.

“Well, Luna is a good friend as are you.” She started a bit unsure. “I wouldn't want either of you hurt. So, yes I guess I am asking you about your intentions”

Draco actually paused at that. “I'm not sure.” That much was true. For years his thoughts had turned around the witch in front of him, it would take him a little time to let go completely. “I like her – I like spending time with her and I think she enjoys it to. At least she said as much. For now, I think I would simply like to get to know her better and see where things lead to.”

He had no idea how it would turn out, but he was willing to make it work and try his best. Hermione would never be more than a good friend, but maybe Luna could be more. And maybe, just maybe she wanted him to be more for her too.

TBC


	4. Part three: Lover

„Are you sure mate?“ Marcus Flint asked him doubtful.

“It isn't too late to forget about it you know.” For a moment Adrian paused in his actions in front of the mirror to look at his best friend who starred at the little box in his hands, as if it would jump him any minute. “I'm absolutely positive.” He nodded and took the little velvet box away from him.“This is no rash deed. I've thought long and hard about it and to be honest I brought that pretty little piece nearly a year ago but there had never been the right occasion.”

“It's your life mate. Your freedom!”

Shaking his head at his best friends’ dramatics, he watched Marcus pour himself another drink. Sighing he declined one for himself. It was a bit early for that and he sure as hell wouldn't start this evening with Scotch on the rocks. Marcus however had no such reservations.

The two of them had been best mates since their first year at Hogwarts and together they had been through thick and thin but both of them had totally different ideas about their lives and future. While Adrian enjoyed dreaming about a loving partnership, children and a challenging job, Marcus world focussed on Quidditch, booze and pretty witches. In exactly that order. Lately Adrian worried that he overdid it somewhat, specially the booze and the witches.

“Sharing your live with someone doesn't mean that you give up your freedom, in fact you make it a bit more colourful and adventures. With the right witch by your side, your life will never be dull and there will always be someone you can rely on.”

“Merlin, you sound like a Hufflepuff. Granger turned you into a fucking ponce.” Marcus snorted and for a moment Adrian felt anger in the pit of his stomach at his words but in the end, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“You will know what I mean, when you meet the right witch.”

“Won't happen mate.”

“Just you wait! When she comes along it will be my time to have a good laugh at you while you make an idiot out of yourself, just to make her notice you.” Adrian remembered the first time he'd made an impression on Hermione Granger and he could truly say that he hadn't made an idiot out of himself in that moment. He'd killed a Death Eater to save her life and later made up a story, so the Dark Lord would never know what really happened in the Forest of Dean. For once in his life he'd truly been a hero, just for her. Adrian had been so lost in the darkness that surrounded him that he feared _himself_ lost but she had shown him a way out. Till this day Hermione was his shimmering light in the dark, although there wasn't much darkness in his life any more, though he was convinced it was only thanks to her.

“Well you certainly did!”

Chuckling softly, he agreed. Their first encounter may have been heroic, even their second he guessed as he thought about the final battle. But every opportunity that wasn't life-threatening afterwards had been a total disaster on his part. He'd always been confident, knowing that he was a good-looking, decent intelligent bloke not to forget filthy rich and a Quidditch star. Most witches threw themselves at him without him moving a single finger. Adrian truly couldn't recall a time where he'd to chase a witch. That was before Hermione came in is life.

Obviously looks didn't mean much to her, money even less and he'd been shocked to learn that she didn't even know he played professional. In fact, she didn't know that much about Quidditch at all as he had to find out.

_“I'm a chaser for the Falmouth Falcons!”_

_“Chaser? That are the ones who try to score, right?”_

There hadn't been much in his favour really, but even before the day of his trial where she'd defended him with a fiery temper and sharp tongue he'd sworn himself to win her over. The bottom line had been a series of embarrassing and humiliating occurrences for both of them. Starting with her allergy to the three dozen roses he send her, which put her into St. Mungos and him face to face with an angry Potter and Weasley who accused him of trying to kill their best friend.

Next had been the house-elf he presented her with, not knowing about S.P.E.W. and her general believes about magical creatures. It had been a disaster. The house-elf had been crying for feeling worthless and Hermione had been yelling at him for a good ten minutes, calling him a slave driver among other things.

After that he'd bribed the annotator of the match his team had against the Cuddly Cannons, to ask her out on a date in his name, knowing that she was there in Weasley's and Potter's company. All cameras had turned towards a crimson faced Hermione, who felt so uncomfortable with everyone's attention that she'd promptly fled the stadium.

The papers of course had a field day, printing all kinds of ridiculous lies, like: _“War heroine breaks heart of star chaser”_ and _“Heart breaker witch strikes again!_ ” or _“Falcon star off the market: witches all over England mourning!”_.

Somehow, they had managed to make her the evil witch in all of it. For weeks it had been all the papers would write about. Reporters had followed her everywhere and witches all over the world felt it necessary to bombard her with howlers.

No need to mention that she wasn't talking to him for a long time. In the following months there had been enough other occasions where he'd embarrassed himself thoughtfully or made her mad enough to hex him. All in all, it had cost him two years to finally made her agree to go out with him. Well, he more or less bribed her into it, telling her he would never give up and it would be easier for her to just give in. So, they made a deal: One date and he would leave her alone.

But Adrian hadn't been sorted into Slytherin for nothing. He was as sly, cunning and determined as any of his house and had made full use of their date. In the end he somehow convinced her to see him again. From that point on things finally started to look up for him. That had been exactly five years ago, and Adrian wasn't taking any chances that she would come to her senses and realise that she could do better than him.

“I did make an idiot out of myself, but I got the girl in the end, didn't I?” Yeah, he thought. Not Malfoy, Weasley or one of the other guys that sniffed after her. Him! “So, it was worth it!” With a satisfied grin he flattened down the non-existing wrinkles of his dress-robes and turned around. “What do you think? How do I look?”

“Like a fucking peacock, like always.”

Rolling his eyes, he continued to pluck on his robes. Unlike Marcus, Adrian took care of his appearance. He saw nothing wrong with putting a little effort in his look, especially when he was seeing his witch. Not that she cared much about things like that. Like his best friend, Mione was somewhat ignorant to clothes and styles but that didn't put him off in doing so himself. His handmade robes were black and dark green, not because of his house colours but because he knew it would emphasize his eyes nicely. The robes were a bit too eye-catching to be called plain and of course out of the best quality money could buy. Over the years he'd allowed his hair to grow, so that it nearly reached his shoulder. Like Hermione's his was a light brown but other than hers his was soft and straight, something she begrudged him openly. For tonight's occasion he'd bound it back with a simple leather band and the only jewel he wore was the Pucey insignia ring. If luck was on his side, it would soon be accompanied by his wedding band.

“You think, she will like it?” Okay, maybe he was a bit more nervous than he thought. It wasn't like him to ask things like that. Ah, who was he kidding, he was a freaking wrack!

“Man!” Marcus snorted and took a sip of his drink. “It's Granger we are talking about, her answer won't be based on how you look tonight!”

“True, but that doesn't mean she won't appreciate that I took time to look nice for her!”

“I tell you man, you're turning into a fucking ponce! First you embarrass yourself on every occasion for that woman, then swear off all other witches, not to forget ditched your Quidditch career to play business man and now you turn into a Hufflepuff!”

Frowning he looked at his best friend who'd a hard expression on his face. One that was normally directed onto his opponents in a Quidditch match, not him. What was his problem? Couldn't he simply be happy for him? He knew that his hopes and wishes were nothing Marcus would ever want in his life, but Adrian never thought he had a problem with them either. And though Hermione had been a Gryffindor and one of the Golden Trio she and Marcus had always gotten along. Maybe not at first but over the years the two of them had fallen into a relationship of sorts that was filled with easy banter and teasing remarks. Adrian always assumed that Marcus liked his girlfriend, but somehow that sounded different now.

“I did make an idiot out of myself!” He hesitantly started and sat down on the couch. “It was as if my mind and mouth wouldn't work properly around her. Guess that happens when you're head over heels for someone. And why would I be interested in other witches when they do nothing for me?”

That was true. It wasn't hard to swear off other women, though before Hermione he was much like Marcus. A different witch on his arm every night while already looking for another. Years ago, he would never have thought it possible to be satisfied with only one witch but strangely enough he was. He wasn't even tempted, other women simply lacked. There was something he could only find in Hermione and he wouldn't want to miss it ever again in his life.

“As for Quidditch you know exactly why I gave it up. It had nothing to do with Hermione.”

“Yeah right!” Marcus didn't look convinced which made Adrian frown. He knew that his friend hadn't been happy about his decision, but he thought he'd made it clear why he had done it. It never crossed his mind that someone would think Hermione had something to do with it.

“No, it didn't! She even tried to convince me to give it a try after my injury.”

Nearly two years ago he'd been hit by a bludger during their forth match of the season. The blow had whipped him off his broom and catapulted him into one of the stands which were filled with on-lookers. Besides a dozen broken bones and internal bleeding, he'd contracted a complicated skull fracture. The bones and bleeding were quickly healed by a few potions and skilled wand moves but the head trauma was a bit more complicated. It had taken him months till he was healed completely and even than he was nowhere near his former condition. It was during his time of recovery that he thought about given up on Quidditch. At the age of twenty-five he couldn't hope for more than five or six years in this game before he would've found himself on the reserve bank. That was if any team would take him back. He was far behind in training and still needed to take it slow.

The first time he mentioned quitting to Hermione she had been shocked and asked him if he was really sure. Adrian loved Quidditch which she knew and she had not wanted him to do something he would regret later on. But the longer he thought about it the more he came to the point where he knew it would be the right thing to do. After all it wasn't that he would give up Quidditch at all, he could still play just not as a professional. His vaults were bursting with gallons but he wasn't the type to just lean back and do nothing, so he started thinking about his options. Nothing he came up with could hold his interest long enough to give it a second thought. He wasn't interested in working for the Ministry, teaching would do nothing for him and since he had Hermione by his side he wasn't interested in anything to dangerous. So, two weeks later when he was frustrated enough to give up, Hermione reminded him that he was good at Arithmancy and managing the Pucey fortune as well as the many estates. Shortly after that _Pucey Investments_ was born. The first year had been hard but his determination and good hand for investments had actually paid off. His family was one with ancient roots and it paid off in his business as many of the old prueblood families preferred to do business with wizards who run in the same circles and lately even Gringotts showed interest in a work relationship.

“But it was her who came up for the idea of Pucey Investments was it not?” Adrian's frown deepened.

“Yes, it was and I'm glad she did, as I was about to give up on it.” There was some strange expression on the face of his friend he wasn't exactly family with. At least not from him. “But I wouldn't have returned to playing Quidditch. She just helped me to find something that I really enjoy rather than to simply kill my time with.” There it was again, nearly overshadowed by his usual rough appearance and a slightly sour look was that foreign expression, he couldn't really put a finger on it but it irked him.

“Okay mate, what's going on here?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about the fact that you act like a petulant little kid. I always thought you like Hermione and are happy for me, but I get the expression that you are pissed at me for some reason.”

“Don't be stupid!”

“That's rich, cause the only one being stupid here is you apparently!” Adrian huffed annoyed as he watched Marcus pouring himself another drink. “Don't you think you're overdoing it a bit, mate?”

“What, are you acting as my mother now?” He scoffed before he drowned the whole glass doubtlessly out of spite.

“Shouldn't surprise me I guess, given that you will want to play family soon with your witch.”

“That's enough! What's your fucking problem, Flint. Cause I don't get it!”

“My problem?” Marcus asked gruffly before he suddenly exploded. “My fucking problem is you! You give up Quidditch, you barley go out any more and I only see you a few times a month at the most! And after tonight it will be even less and you know it!”

Adrian was stunned, as he listened to his fiend’s rant. Marcus was yelling at him, shouting really and Marcus Flint didn't shout. He was a tall man with a wide built, all muscles, and a deep voice. There was no need for him to raise his voice, most people didn't dream on angering him and broke out in cold sweat when he simply glared in their direction. So, no one could really blame him that he momentary was at a loss for words, as he starred at the other man who'd jumped up from his chair sometime during his triad. His body was stiff, and Adrian could see that he'd clenched his fist so tight that they were nearly white from the effort.

Ever so slowly Marcus calmed down somewhat. The hard expression on his face faded and he stretched his fingers while he sunk down on the chair again. “Now that you're settling down with Granger where will that leave me mate, hu?” He asked softly and it hit Adrian like a bludger: Marcus was jealous!

“Mate,” he started carefully after a moment of absolute silence. “It will leave you where you've always been, as my best mate. I'm sorry that you somehow feel left out, but the business is starting to pay off, which sadly means more work. And between my time at the office, dates with Mya and you out and about with the Falcons I guess we've...I have...neglected our friendship lately.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “But man, you'll always be part of my life.” As soon as the words left his mouth he wrinkled his nose.

“Now you really sound like a ponce.” Marcus chuckled and looked much more relaxed than a few minutes ago.

“Yeah, anyway, you know what I mean. Hermione is the last person who would try to get between us. She made it really clear from the beginning that she wouldn't give up her friends for me and would never expect something like that form me and besides, she likes you.”

“Of course, she does. I'm charming, good-looking, famous and filthy rich!” Marcus announced obviously over his little jealous fit. “What isn't there to like?”

Rolling his eyes Adrian stood up but hesitated. “So, we are good?”

Sighing the tall man across form him nodded. “Yeah man, I don't know what came over me. Granger's a nice bird. Funny, clever and with pretty hot, especially when she's all riled up.” He winked at him and Adrian knew he only did it to get a raise out of him. “I know that she wouldn't try to get between us, it's just lately...” He shrugged his shoulder. “I don't know I started to ask myself if there's more then Quidditch, easy witches and Firewhisky. I guess I look at your life and want to have the same for me, you know? A career that won't be over at the age of thirty, a respectful witch at my side and someday even a family.”

Adrian nodded, he understood what he was talking about. After all he'd been in the same place. “There are always options!” For a moment Marcus looked far away but in the end he nodded and finally stood up. “All right, I guess it's time for me to go. I don't want to be the reason you're too late for the most important date of your life.”

“If everything goes as planned, the most important date will follow soon. Oh, and I expect you to be there, right beside me as my best man. So, you better show up!”

“Wouldn't dream on doing otherwise man!” He chuckled and with a last good luck he apperated away.

 

Ten minutes later, after a double check on his appearance and half a glass of Firewhiskey to calm his nerves he was standing in front of Hermione's apartment fidgeting with the single red rose in his hand. The velvet box was safely hidden in his pocket and felt unreasonably heavy. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on her door.

“Don't muck it up, Ade!” He muttered to himself before all air was sucked out of his lunges as a goddess opened the door.

TBC


	5. Trinity

Stepping into her hot bubble bath Hermione sighed deeply and allowed herself to relax as she rested her back against the tub and closed her eyes. The bath was as much part of her Saturday rituals as any of her visits with her Slytherin friends. Maybe even the best part.

She loved all of her friends dearly, even the snakes, but they could be a bit intense, especially those two she had breakfast and tea with today. Humming softly to the hushed music from the wireless radio in the background she tried to review her day in her mind.

Breakfast with Draco had been nice. Not at all like she expected it to be. During the last few weeks their meetings had been a bit on the stiff and uncomfortable side, which was mostly her fault she had to admit. Hermione knew that he harboured feelings for her that outran that of a normal friendship. Draco fancied himself in love with her, but it wasn't real romantical love. More a desperate wish to feel something and have someone who truly cared. It pained Hermione that nobody had ever felt the need to make him feel special and cherished. Not because he was the heir to an ancestral line of purebloods or because of all the money he possessed, but because of the person he was.

During the trials after the war, she had been shocked to find out that it was only thanks to him that they made it out of the manor. He had been the one to call Dobby for their rescue. He had also tried his very best to stop Crabbe and Goyle from killing her friends and herself in the Room of Requirement without giving his true intentions away and later he had sheltered her body with his own to keep her from any harm caused by _Death Eaters._

Hermione had been at a loss while trying to understand his actions and felt even more floored when she slowly started to realise the real reason. Under all that cold and superior attitude lived a lonely boy who longed for a bit of warmth. And somehow, he thought she was the one who could grant him that.

They might have been on opposite sides during most of their lives, but Hermione believed in second chances and in her book he more than deserved one. His believes weren't his faults considering the way he'd been raised and with a mad man living in his home and threatening his family he did not have much of a choice over his actions. But he still tried and that demanded courage. And if a Gryffindor couldn't appreciate courage who else could?

So, she did everything in her power to help him. Not only concerning his sentence but also his loneliness. They started spending time together, mostly Saturday mornings and over the months Hermione quickly came to enjoy his company. He had a great knowledge on various subjects and other than most people he was able to hold onto a decent conversation with her.

But over the time it became more and more clear that he wished for more. He never tried to approach her directly, ever the Slytherin that he was, but it showed and Hermione became more and more uncomfortable with it. She liked him but could not imagine to be more than friends.

Sadly, her scarce experience in that field made her helpless in how to let him down gently. Adrian hadn't been long in the picture at that point but was another reason she felt the need to clear things between them. But before she was able to find her courage, Draco told her about his plans regarding an apprenticeship in potions. She was happy for him, knowing that it was something he would truly enjoy, but also a little relieved when she realised that he would move to Italy, thinking that the distant would make him come to terms with his feelings.

They'd written and flooed each other on a regular basis but it wasn't the same as being in the same room with each other. She felt more relaxed and after a while she dared to hope that he had gotten over his crush. Zabini certainly did his best to introduce him to the entire female population of Italy. Unfortunately, neither the distance nor Blaise' efforts seemed to make a difference.

Obviously, it needed someone as unique as Luna Lovegood to change things. On first sight they might seem displaced with each other but everyone who knew Luna, knew that there was more to her than met the eye. She accepted people the way they were without judging them for the things they had done. In Hermione's eyes they made a wonderful match and over time they would come to see it too. Their new positions at Hogwarts would allow them to spend more time together and Hermione had to stifle a giggle at the thought of Minerva discovering the slow romance. She was quite sure there hadn't been a romantic relationship between two staff members in over a century.

 

 

 

Dipping deeper into the hot water she remembered her other appointment. Other than her visits with Draco which were cancelled or rescheduled now and then her meetings with Barty Crouch junior were on a strict schedule. Every Saturday at three pm she would apparate over to his cottage and spent three hours with him. She made it a rule never to be late, as she got a feeling that that sort of thing made him cranky and he was already unstable enough.

More than once she'd asked herself if she had done the right thing in saving him from the kiss and even Azkaban, the man was crazy but obviously he was also ill. A careful examination at St. Mungos affirmed her suspicion and in her book it just wasn't right to imprison someone who was in need of medical help. That did not excuse the things he had done during the war, but at least it showed her that there was a reason for his actions, one that had nothing do to with being heartless or cruel.

Over the years he had allowed her to get to know him better; he told her about his parents, his mother mostly and slowly she caught on to his hate for muggleborns. Had things been different he might have ended hating purebloods or half-bloods instead, it was just a misfortune that the healer who treated his mother was a muggleborn witch. Hermione guessed that his mother`s illness left him with a deep emotional trauma. Barty had clearly adored the woman from an early age on especially as his father didn't have much use for him. It must have been hard to grow up under a father who criticized him on everything he did, seeing his hobbies and interests unfitting and too girlish for his son.

Hermione hadn't known Barty Crouch senior all that well, but he always appeared stiff and a bit controlling in her eyes. And what father would send his own son to Azkaban? Barty deserved it, no question, but how could a father live with the knowledge that he signed his son’s doom? It just wasn't right. So, all in all it wasn't too hard to understand how he ended up as one of Voldemort's followers. His morbid obsession with her was a completely different matter, though!

Apparently, she reminded him of his mother and considering his habit of sniffing her neck and calling her wildflower it had something to do with the way she smelled.

In the beginning she had been more than a little uncomfortable around him. It was like skating on very thin ice, one wrong move and it would be over. But over the years she became more confident in his presence, at times she even enjoyed it.

He was highly intelligent and possessed an extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects. The books and articles she brought for him always put a happy smile on his lips and provided them both with topics of conversation. Talking to him, was never dull and more than once Hermione found herself in a fervid debate about complex magical theories or the significance of various potion ingredients.

Through her school years Hermione associated Slytherins with pureblood bigots, bullies and house rivalry and it was easy to forget that they were also cunning, quick-witted and rather crafty. A mistake she had come to amend over the years.

After all it was him who planned the return of the Dark Lord in her fourth year and it was also him who overwhelmed Mad Eye Moody and slipped into his role. He even fooled Dumbledore and Snape, both men who weren't led around their noses lightly.

And though she truly enjoyed her afternoons with Barty by now, she would never dare to underestimate the man. All the magical flowers, beautiful poems and passionate discussions aside he was still a force to be reckoned with. She herself created the wards surrounding his cottage and every once in a while, she would add new ones or improve old ones.

Sometimes she asked herself if she would have chosen a different profession hadn't Barty appeared in the picture. During the war she had thought about becoming an auror and afterwards she toyed with the idea of taking a healer apprenticeship, feeling she had seen enough death and terror for a lifetime. But it was Bartemius` situation that drew her attention to something completely different and she couldn't be happier about her decision to become a ward designer. Her job was challenging and demanded thoughtful research and calculations as well as a good portion of creativity.

The Wizardgamot retained one of the best ward designers alive, Fabiano Castellani, to make sure Barty Crouch jr. couldn't escape from his prison. Hermione had watched the man work, fascinated with the way he moved his wand, buried magical items around the cottage and painted the walls with runes. It had taken him hours to set all the wards, but Hermione wouldn't get weary of watching him work. While most of the attendees left after an hour or two, bored with the slow process, she remained behind with the two aurors who were obligated to oversee the task.

As soon as the wizard finished his work she had bombarded him with questions. He seemed a bit surprised at her obvious interest in the subject at first, but in the end, he simply laughed warmly about her enthusiasm. Castellani was weak and drained from his work but he promised her to answer her questions another time. And he did, more so even, he allowed her to work on a case with him. Probably to show her how boring it was and that his job was based more on research and spending time in old libraries than working in the field. That might have pushed a normal person away but for Hermione it made it all the more appealing. It hadn't taken Fabiano long to come to the same conclusion and a month before she graduated from Hogwarts he had offered her an apprenticeship. The following three years had been hard but nonetheless some of the most exciting and challenging in her life and obviously she had impressed her tutor enough to offer her a permanent position in his business.

Over the years Fabiano and she had formed a close friendship and had very successfully expanded his little bureau during the last two years. Today they employed around twenty witches and wizards who worked in one of the four fields of their company: research, runes, day to day wards and professional wards. The latter was mostly covered by Fabiano and herself, though they both kept an open mind and eye for potential recruits.

Hermione couldn't be happier with her choice of work. She loved the challenge each appointment brought with it and she enjoyed the hours in the library as much as the field work.

 

 

 

The song ended and was quickly followed by the next one. A popular song from the Weird Sisters. It reminded her of the Yule Ball in her fourth year and hours she spent dancing with Victor. For the first time in her life Hermione had felt like a girl and more importantly was treated like such. For Harry and Ron she was just one of the guys but Victor was the first man to ever notice her as a woman. For the short period of his stay she had felt pretty and desirable. Sadly those feelings vanished quickly after he left. Once again she was nothing more than plain, boring Hermione. The walking encyclopedia and best friend of Harry Potter. There was a time where she fancied herself in love with Ron, but all it ever did was making her feel miserable. It wasn't until Adrian that she rediscovered her inner goddess so to speak.

Chuckling softly, she remembered some of the things Adrian put her through in the beginning. For being the brightest witch of her age, it had taken her a long time and some not so subtle hints from her friends to realise that he was trying to woo her. And it took her even longer to realise that he was bloody serious about it all.

Why a clever, famous, rich and dangerously handsome looking bloke like him could be interested in someone like her had been a mystery to her, but it did wonders for her self-esteem. For the first time since her brief time with Victor she looked into the mirror and smiled at her reflection. She actually took the time to choose more fitting clothes and even dared to put on some make up and use one or two spells on her hair.

The funny thing was, she didn't do it to impress him but because it made her feel good. Back in Hogwarts she never possessed the patience or the appreciation for such silly things. Partly because she was busy with her studies and keeping Harry out of trouble and even more because she avoided looking into a mirror.

Being pretty started with feeling pretty and it had taken Hermione long to get there. But over the years she had gotten more confident with her looks as well as her sexuality and Adrian had more to do with it than she would ever let him know.

Merlin knew his ego was big enough as it was!

The water was beginning to cool and she reluctantly opened her eyes to grasp one of the colourful bottles on her side to wash her hair with.

Fifteen minutes later she was wrapped in a fluffy towel while she used a smaller one to dry her hair before she fixed it with some of the lotion Ginny had given her as a birthday present. Hermione nearly had a heart attack when she found out about the price while she reordered it, but she had to admit it was worth every penny.

Instead of a bushy rats nest she possessed shiny, luscious curls which she decided to wear loose tonight. With a flick of her wand she dried them and simply tucked a few strands away and fixed them with a beautiful comb which would do nicely with her dress.

It was strapless and shorter than she normally felt comfortable with but the moment she had seen herself in it she knew she would take it. It was a dark green with a broad golden sequinned line in the front and around her waist. The material felt nice against her skin and Hermione couldn't wait to put it on. But not before she finished with her make-up and slipped into the lacy excuse of underwear, she found on her shopping day with Ginny. Regarding herself in the flimsy attire she could feel a light giddiness washing over her.

Well Ginny was right, one could kill a man looking like this.

Good thing that Adrian was no easy kill. Grinning she remembered their last anniversary... no death would definitely be the last thing on his mind when he saw her like this. Five minutes later she was finally dressed. A pair of plain golden earrings and a flashier bracelet was all she grasped from her jewellery box before she searched for her shoes. She had barely slipped into her pumps when she heard the knock on her door.

Normally Adrian would simply apparate into her apartment but on special occasions, like today, he insisted on _doing it right_ and Hermione had to admit she secretly loved his old-fashioned habits sometimes. Wasting no more time, she hurried to the door and opened it and instantly felt a warm tickling sensation washing over her body.

Merlin, he looked good!

She wasn't sure why she was so surprised, after all Adrian never looked less than mouth-watering but seeing him in his – certainly handmade and ridiculous expensive – dress-robes made her nearly swoon with desire. Circe, she would be embarrassed had it not been obvious that he was experiencing a similar feeling.

“Hi,” she mumbled breathlessly and after a moment of silence it seemed Adrian was getting out of his daze. It was nice to know that even after five years she had that effect on him.

“Hello, love.” Flashing his most charming smile he leant forward for a brief kiss. “You look good enough to eat,” he mumbled into her ear. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine and Hermione was relieved when he finally leant back. Otherwise the evening would end much sooner than planned. Not that she minded.

“Hmmm,” she agreed throatily and decided that two could play the game. “I'm quite hungry.”

Biting her lip she took in his appearance and allowed her eyes to glide slowly over his form, resting for a bit longer on special spots. She nearly laughed when he started to fidget nervously. Clearing his throat, he took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“Later love!” He winked at her and pulled he tightly against him. Obviously, he was back to his cocky self. “Hold on tight,” he warned her only a moment before he flicked his wand and Hermione could feel the nauseating pull of the side-along-apparition in her belly.

She was glad she hadn't eaten anything since her breakfast with Draco apart from a few biscuits. It would have been a shame to start their promising evening by emptying her stomach over his handmade shoes.

 

 

 

Two hours had passed and Hermione starred open mouthed at the man kneeling in front of her while she willed her mind to comprehend what had just happen. But regardless how hard she tried she couldn't. Hermione was certain she made a ridiculous sight with her rigid body, open mouth and twitching eyes that were jumping back and forth from the beautiful ring to the anxious looking man who presented it to her.

_“...love of my life...beautiful...marry me...all I ever wanted...happy...can't wait to start spending the rest of my life with you...marry me...only you...complete me...couldn't live without you...my light in the darkness...marry me...make me the happiest man...love....witch at my side...marry me...marry me. Marry me. Marry. Me."_

Wow! For being the brightest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw and all that it was kind of embarrassing that wow was everything her brilliant mind could come up with. But Circe, her brilliant, charming and utterly handsome boyfriend had just asked her to marry him. A girl was allowed to feel a bit light headed after that.

Did she really want to marry him? Did she feel ready for that? She was twenty-five which was still an early age considering muggle habits, while it made her nearly a spinster in the Wizarding world.

They had dated for the past five years and Hermione could whole heartedly say that she loved him with all her heart and she was sure he felt the same way about her. He told her often enough and showed her how he felt even more often. But was that enough?

They were so different, but on the other hand that hadn't stopped them from having a relationship, in fact it made it much more interesting. Often their opinions weren't the same but it inspired their talks and rarely allowed boredom to settle in. Their hobbies couldn't clash more, she enjoyed reading and broadening her horizon while Adrian loved Quidditch. But both of them realised early in their relationship that it allowed them both some personal time and every now and then they would share the other’s passion. She watched him play and cheer for him while he would select one of her books and read it out loud, while she lay snuggled to his side and simply enjoyed the sound of his voice.

Both of them had separate groups of friends as well as some shared ones. Harry and Ron would never be his favourite people and she could not stand some of his Slytherin friends, but she got along with Marcus well enough and he with Ginny. Their chosen jobs had nothing to do with each other, but instead of remaining silent on it they often discussed their problems with each other to get new input and fresh ideas. Her parents loved Adrian and his mother was quite fond of her.

Both of them wished for the same things in their future; being successful in their job and start a family. So what was holding her back?

Well, most of all her inability to remember to form words it seemed. The look in Adrian's eyes had become slightly fearful and she realised that her silence was misleading him into thinking that she didn't want him.

Merlin, Circe and Morgana who wouldn't want him!?

So, instead of trying to calm her raging thoughts or waste more time to regain her ability to speak she simply nodded. Well, she frantically bobbed her head up and down as quickly as possible.

“This is a yes?” He asked still a bit unsure. Again, she nodded but this time he seemed to understand that she was simply too overwhelmed to answer right away. The love, admiration and hope shining in his eyes were enough to assure her that she had just made the best decision in her life. Overcome with emotion, Hermione could feel tears come up in eyes. She barely heard the clapping and shouts of congratulation from the gawking crowd, nor did she feel Adrian put the ring on her finger, but she certainly felt his lips crashing down on hers. It was the kiss that finally ripped her out of her state and she leant back long enough to eventually answer him.

“Yes, Adrian. I will marry you!” Her voice was barely more than a breathless whisper but all she could manage at the moment. “I love you.” And with that she kissed him.

Her life certainly wasn't always a walk in the sunshine. There was a _Death Eater_ who adored her like the mother he had lost long ago and another snake that just recently accepted that she would never be more than a friend. Her job could be draining and her friends tiring. There were days were self-doubts threatened to eat her alive and backlashes from the war brought her to tears but at that moment she was sure she could live through anything, as long as Adrian was at her side.

**Finite incantatem**


End file.
